Matt liked “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and so did I, but I must note: Like one of the main character’s memories, the movie has completely evaporated from my mind. No lingering ideas, no haunting images. Even the day after seeing it, I had only a faint impression of the flick — which is what I expect from, you know, “Hellboy,” but not from a movie that scored 92% on the Tomatometer!

Not so with “Monsieur Ibrahim” (clearly a dud at a mere 89%) which I just saw at the glittering Tampa Theatre. (You know it’s high-class when they spell it ‘theatre.’) A day later, impressions abound: The back alleys of Paris… the whirling dervishes, Sufis that “spin around their hearts”… the whacked-out 60’s rock ‘n’ roll in French… Ibrahim’s kindness… and Omar Sharif’s grizzled, gap-toothed grin.

There have been movies I’ve seen and loved, and seen again, and again, trying to take in every detail, because I felt it all slipping away as soon as it was over. One of the best movies I ever saw was “Cries and Whispers.” But when I conjure that movie in my head, exactly one frame comes to mind.

And there have been awful movies that have impressed themselves on my memory for too dang long. Somewhere in my cerebral cortex, a rebel gang of neurons keeps playing “Kate & Leopold” over and over again.

Hmm. I guess I tend to remember really good movies more easily than really bad ones, but there’s a reason: I’ve usually watched my favorites two or three times. And during these repeat viewings, I often acknowledge that I’m doing so precisely because I need to pay extra attention to the details. Repetition makes things stick (and this doesn’t just pertain to movies). Too practical an answer for these purposes, maybe?

Anyway, it’s probably unrealistic (and BO-ring) to devote one’s time to watching the same movies again and again, just for the sake of being able to quote from them or whatever. The support group is sounding better and better….